Firm Rankings

Jersey

Corporate and commercial

Edward ScottÂ is â€˜always commercial in his approachâ€™ and spearheads Dickinson Gleesonâ€™s young corporate offering, which operates mainly in the real estate space. Recent highlights include Scottâ€™s advice to Landsec on its acquisition of a portfolio of three outlet centres from Hermes Investment Management, and the groupâ€™s instruction by a major Asian investor to handle the acquisition â€“ and its financing â€“ of serviced apartments in London through two Jersey companies. The corporate department also worked closely with trust litigation specialist James GleesonÂ to assist a major property developer with a corporate governance matter which involved buying out a minority interest holder. Associate John BurnsÂ joined the firm from BTO Solicitors LLPÂ in Glasgow. NewRiver also appointed the group to work alongside Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLPÂ to advise on the finance and corporate aspects of its buying out of its joint venture partner from four Jersey property unit trusts.

Dispute resolution

Dickinson GleesonÂ is â€˜an excellent litigation boutique firm with a real strength in depth and outstanding commercial awarenessâ€™; clients praise the â€˜extremely clever and hard-workingâ€™ James GleesonÂ as â€˜an excellent lawyer to have on your sideâ€™. The highly recommended James DickinsonÂ and â€˜responsive, considered and pragmaticâ€™ senior associate Guillaume StaalÂ continue to act for an entrepreneur in multi-jurisdictional asset recovery proceedings following the Royal Courtâ€™s decision that the clientâ€™s claims to half of substantial loans and interests thereon were entirely vindicated. The group â€“ supported by senior associate Robert ChristieÂ â€“ is also representing the estate of a deceased individual involved in a longstanding and complex multi-party fraud case pertaining to allegations of embezzlement by the directors of a foreign company. High-profile and high-value trust disputes are also among the firmâ€™s particular strengths.

Private client, trusts and tax

Dickinson Gleesonâ€™s private client offering is â€˜excellent, personal, quick and most importantly to the pointâ€™; the teamâ€™s â€˜excellent response times allow for the building of an effective working relationshipâ€™. Especially strong in the contentious trust space, practice headÂ Craig SwartÂ also demonstrates proficiency on the advisory side, where his â€˜calm and unflusteredâ€™ approach impresses clients. The group continues to represent the incoming trustee in the longstanding Z Trust dispute, which involves questions regarding the duties of trustees overseeing insolvent trusts and the competing rights of beneficiaries and creditors, among others. The family of a substantial trust appointed the group to handle the exit of a trustee after the latter imposed a freeze on the assets in the context of disputed foreign tax claims, and SwartÂ is assisting a Jersey trustee with the recovery of loans from the deceased settlorâ€™s children. Managing partner James DickinsonÂ and James GleesonÂ sit in the contentious department and are also key names to note.

As of Friday 21 November 2014, the new
Charities (Jersey) Law 2014 (the " Law ") (or at least certain
parts of it) came into effect.Â This represents a quantum leap forward for
Jersey in the charity field.Â The Law has introduced a new test for what is
charitable (the " Charity Test "), has introduced the post of a
Charity Commissioner and a Charity Tribunal, and in time will introduce
standards that those who run charities in the Island will have to abide by.Â It
is hoped that the Law will enable the Island to flourish as a centre for the
administration of charitable and philanthropic structures.

An exemption which will enable Jersey-regulated
fund managers to be appointed in relation to managed accounts has now been
introduced.Â This will enable hedge fund managers that are alreadyÂ regulated
under the Financial Services (Jersey) Law (FS Law) in JerseyÂ to carry outÂ fund
services business (FSB) to also service qualifying segregated managed accounts
(QSMAs) without the need to seek additional regulation for the conduct of
investment business under the FS Law.

On 2 January 2014, the Security Interests
(Jersey) Law 2012 came into force in respect of Jersey law security over
intangible movable property (e.g. shares/securities, bank accounts and custody
assets).Â The new law replaces the Security Interests (Jersey) Law 1983 (which
was in force for the last three decades) and introduces a number of important
changes which modernise Jersey's security regime.

On 26 November 2014, the Privy Council
delivered judgment in the long-running case of Crociani & Others v.
Crociani & Others [2014] UKPC 40 .Â The case is of interest to trustees
because it provides conclusive and binding guidance on the treatment of
exclusive jurisdiction clauses in trust deeds.Â However, it also raises
questions as to the fundamental nature of the inherent supervisory jurisdiction
of the Royal Court in connection with trust matters, and whether it is in fact
broader than previously thought.